Home remedy for yeast infection
The discharge will vary a bit in terms of color and consistency depending on the stage in the menstrual cycle. You will also experience discharge when sexually aroused, as the vagina lubricates itself. In general, this fluid should not cause your vaginal area to become irritated or inflamed. All of the kinds of discharge listed above are home remedy for yeast infection completely typical and should not be any cause for alarm. However, certain types of discharge home remedy for yeast infection can signal a yeast infection, or another type of vaginal infection. You should consider the likelihood of having an infection if your vaginal discharge starts to look different than what I have described above. Yeast infections are often characterized home remedy for yeast infection by a thick, white, cottage-cheesy discharge. This is rather different in nature from the usual thin, slippery, clear or milky white discharge. Discharge that indicates a yeast infection may be “lumpy,” and there may be a larger quantity of it than your normal discharge. 15 Other common symptoms of a yeast infection include a bread-y or yeasty odor, as home remedy for yeast infection well as itching, burning, redness and/or swelling of the vaginal area (in the vagina itself and on the skin surrounding it). If you have a yeast infection you may also experience pain and/or a burning sensation during sex or when urinating. If you are experiencing discharge that is watery or foamy and grey or white in color, you may home remedy for yeast infection have bacterial vaginosis. Consult your doctor for more information and to be diagnosed. 16 How Do I Know If I Have It? There are several very common and very recognizable symptoms of a yeast infection. While some of them may also indicate other vaginal conditions, these symptoms can generally give you a fair sign of when it’s time to home remedy for yeast infection seek treatment. They include: • Swollen, red, itchy vulva • Thick white “cottage-cheesey” discharge (different from your body’s normal, everyday discharge) • Pain while having sex Modern medicine would have us believe that if you have these symptoms and you treat your vagina, you are cured! But did you know that yeast infections can affect your entire body—and not home remedy for yeast infection just your vagina? I’m not talking just about vaginal yeast infections now. Remember when I said that yeast normally lives on the skin and in the mouth and intestinal tract? Well, when yeast starts multiplying out of whack in the body, it can spread everywhere throughout your system. It can get “lodged” in other parts of the body besides home remedy for yeast infection the vagina, and then you’ve got a whole other host of problems to deal with. As you may know from the countless TV commercials on this topic or from past experience, such medicine generally comes in the form of a cream that is inserted with an applicator into the vagina, or a suppository that you place in your home remedy for yeast infection vagina and that then dissolves inside your body. In certain cases, particularly for recurring infections that don’t respond to the treatments above, doctors may prescribe an oral treatment, in the form of a pill that you swallow. 21 To help relieve the symptoms that you are experiencing while waiting for those meds to kick in, you can also buy home remedy for yeast infection creams that are designed to help relieve the itching, burning, and inflammation. Option 2: Home and Traditional Remedies Now let’s talk briefly about the second route you can take, which involves bypassing most of the medical establishment’s prescriptions. We’re going to talk a lot more about this in the section on my multi-step home remedy, so for now let home remedy for yeast infection me just say that doctors often treat just the symptoms and ignore the root cause of diseases. Maybe this is why so few doctors are able to make their patients’ vaginal infections go away for good! As many women have discovered for themselves over the years, certain home remedies and lifestyle changes are actually vastly superior to prescriptions and home remedy for yeast infection OTC medicines when it comes to curing a yeast infection. In fact, in other parts of the world it is very common to use home remedies such as yogurt and tea tree oil to cure yeast infections. I personally find that yogurt is a fantastic treatment, but let’s say just for the sake of argument that the results of home remedy for yeast infection yogurt and, say, Monistat are just about equal. Now, which would you rather flood your body with: natural, organic, delicious probiotic yogurt, or the powerful and potentially dangerous drugs that make up natural cure for yeast infection Monistat? We’ll talk more about all of this later. Moreover, in the case of yeast infections, it’s not enough to inject a home remedy for yeast infection cream into your vagina and get the yeast under control there. It’s more important to understand why you developed a yeast infection in the first place. As I have discussed above, you should know that a yeast infection can be a systemic infection that affects your entire body and its functions, and not just 22 your vagina. So treating home remedy for yeast infection just the vagina is not necessarily the way to cure yourself for good! However you decide to treat yourself, it’s important to remember that you should avoid sex while you have an active infection. Penetration can drive the yeast cells deeper and deeper into the walls of the vagina, causing more irritation and prolonging the infection. On the home remedy for yeast infection same note, steer clear of tampons and remember to keep the area as clean and as able to breathe as possible. That means changing feminine pads frequently (at least every 4 natural treatment for vaginitis hours), wearing clean cotton underwear, and avoiding tight pants that stifle the area. 23 Over-the-Counter Treatment Products: Pros and Cons Over-the-counter, or OTC, treatments home remedy for yeast infection for yeast infections are incredibly common and are available in just about every drugstore or grocery store you go into. They are relatively inexpensive and widely available, so it’s no wonder that most women who think they have a yeast infection run out and buy one of the many OTC options. It doesn’t help that the airwaves are inundated home remedy for yeast infection with television commercials of pretty women complaining about yeast infections, then holding up boxes of drugs for you to buy. And flip open the pages of any women’s magazine and you’ll see plenty of print ads, too. Those companies want your money pretty badly, it seems! But buying an over-the-counter treatment is not always a good idea. First of home remedy for yeast infection all, if you have a vaginal infection that is not actually a yeast infection, trying to treat it with a yeast infection cream or suppository is not going to do you much good. Moreover, you could actually be increasing your body’s resistance to these treatments, so that when you need them later on they won’t work as well. Treating home remedy for yeast infection yourself for a yeast infection when you don’t actually have a yeast infection is, well, just no good for your body at all. Moreover, OTC medicines are not meant for every woman. If you are under the age of 12 or you are pregnant, avoid OTC medicines and consult your doctor about treatment options. The same goes if you home remedy for yeast infection are breastfeeding—drugs in your system may be secreted in your breast milk. This is true even if you are using a topic drug and not one that you take orally, because topical medicine is absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream. 24 Fungicidal creams are perhaps the most readily available OTC treatment options. Monistat is the best-known name, home remedy for yeast infection and you’ve probably seen their commercials on TV or in magazines. Monistat and other similar creams contain an antifungal drug called tioconazole. When you insert this antifungal cream into the affected area, it will go to work attacking the yeast. Usually, creams come in a package with several applicators. You put the cream in the applicator and then insert home remedy for yeast infection the applicator into the vaginal area and apply the cream as directed. The cream will stay “up there” for some time. You must repeat this process anywhere from 1 to 10 times, depending on the kind of cream you buy (1-day treatment, 3-day treatment, or 7-10-day treatment). Also, the hormonal changes brought on by diabetes may also be home remedy for yeast infection a factor in the incidence of yeast infection. Antibiotics and Other Prescription Drugs 11 Antibiotics are meant to kill off certain elements in the body that are causing disease or discomfort. While antibiotics may be recommended to you by a doctor, you should keep in mind that they kill off bacteria indiscriminantly, the good along with the bad. Since home remedy for yeast infection good bacteria actually help to keep yeast in check in a normal, healthy vagina, taking antibiotics can lead the way to a yeast infection. In fact, yeast infections are quite common in women who have recently had a round of antibiotics. Even if you took antibiotics as a child and you are now a young adult, your body could home remedy for yeast infection still be “out of whack” as a result! Feminine Hygiene Products As you can probably imagine, douching too often or leaving a tampon in place for too long can wreak havoc on the delicate PH level of the vaginal environment. chronic yeast infection The vagina has a natural acidity level that the body regulates on its own. You do home remedy for yeast infection not need to “clean” it out using douches or feminine sprays, and you should not do anything to compromise it. Remember, feminine hygiene companies are trying to make money by selling their products; don’t buy into the hype. Your vagina, when kept healthy, will regulate itself and does not require external “cleansers.” Tight Clothing “Choking” your crotch with a home remedy for yeast infection tight pair of jeans or a pair of nylon stockings is a surefire recipe for a yeast infection. This is because tight clothing suffocates the vaginal area and does not allow it to breathe. This in turn results in a change to the level of acidity “down there.” 12 On the same note, synthetic fabrics are not a good home remedy for yeast infection choice for underwear, because they trap the air against your body, not allowing it to circulate and breathe. Avoid synthetic underwear, nylons and pants, all of which can trigger an infection. If you must wear nylons on occasion, just try not to wear them every day. Give your body a chance to breathe. This is especially important in the home remedy for yeast infection summertime, when the hot, humid air can make the situation down there even worse. There are several common causes, and some of them are easier to deal with than others. The thing they all have in common is that they derive from a change in the acidity of the vagina. As I mentioned earlier, the acidic environment is home remedy for yeast infection what normally keeps the yeast in check. So if something happens that changes that healthy level of acidity, yeast can really have a field day, multiplying without a limit and therefore causing an infection to occur. Certain causes are natural events you have no control over. For example, menstruation, pregnancy, and diabetes can all lead to yeast infections. Steroids home remedy for yeast infection and birth control pills can also be a trigger; so can antibiotics, which disrupt the natural environment of the vagina by killing off good and bad cause of yeast infection bacteria. Other triggers have to do with things you could easily change in your everyday life. Wetness or irritation around the genitals is a major factor, so you should home remedy for yeast infection always avoid wearing too-tight underwear and wet bathing suits, or using vaginal products (douches, sprays, etc.) that irritate the delicate vaginal area (much more on this later). In fact, something as seemingly harmless as taking a bubble bath after a stressful day at work could actually be triggering your uncomfortable, itchy condition! 10 Now let’s discuss each of the home remedy for yeast infection major causes in greater detail. Pregnancy and Menstruation When your body goes through a massive change like pregnancy, or when it undergoes a monthly flux in hormone levels, your vagina does not escape unscathed! Pregnancy and your period can both cause the level of acidity in your vagina to change, and that, as I’ve explained above, can trigger an home remedy for yeast infection infection to occur. Stress Anything that stresses your body—from the everyday stresses of your job, for example, to a lack of sleep to a poor diet to that irritating relative who’s coming over for dinner—can raise your chances of developing an infection. This is because stress lowers the body’s resistance to infection and weakens the immune system. Therefore, getting home remedy for yeast infection plenty of sleep, having proper nutrition and staying calm can all help you avoid a yeast infection. Diabetes and Obesity There is some evidence to suggest that consuming foods high in sugar and drinking lots of alcohol can trigger yeast infections due to the high sugar content in the urine. (And yeast overgrowth can actually be a cause of home remedy for yeast infection weight gain!) If 7 the acidity decreases, however, an infection can develop and the yeast will start growing out of control. When yeast begins to multiply, a yeast infection, or candidiasis, begins. There are many reasons why normal yeast may begin to multiply out of control—from moisture to lifestyle to disease to prescription drugs you may be taking home remedy for yeast infection to irritation—and we’ll get into those causes in greater detail in the next section. For now, however, just keep in mind that not all cause of vaginal yeast infection vulvar itches signal a yeast infection. Read through the “Symptoms” section of this guide carefully to determine if you have this condition; and if you are unsure, as always, consult home remedy for yeast infection a physician. If you do have a yeast infection, you’ll probably be experiencing any or all of the following: • White discharge that is thick and “cottage-cheesey” • Itching around the vaginal area • Swelling or inflammation of the area around the vagina • Pain during sex Perhaps this is your first time experiencing a yeast infection—but more likely home remedy for yeast infection it’s been an ongoing saga in your life. Many women will experience chronic yeast infections due to elements of their lifestyle that can trigger this nasty little condition. And even doctors are not always able to successful treat infections on the first go. Yeast is very hardy and can be difficult to get under control, especially if you don’t home remedy for yeast infection do your best to remove any external triggers. Thankfully, we know a lot more about yeast infections today than we used to, and we also know that prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines 8 (which don’t always work) are not our only options. The rest of this guide is devoted to helping you determine whether you’ve got an infection and, home remedy for yeast infection if so, how you can safely and effectively bring your body back to its healthy, energetic state. 9 What Causes a Yeast Infection? So now you know what differentiates a yeast infection from other vaginal infections—the presence of too much yeast! But you may be wondering: if it is normal to have some yeast in the body at all home remedy for yeast infection times, then why does the body get out of whack sometimes and let that yeast grow out of control? In this section we’ll discuss the main reasons why yeast is likely to grow too quickly. Eat lots of leafy greens to keep your intestinal tract clean and in superior shape, and consume plenty of fruits and other veggies. home remedy for yeast infection Also, be sure to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day, which is one of the easiest ways to maintain all of your body’s essential functions. 39 Foods to avoid: • Processed cereal, especially sweetened cereal • Soda and sweetened fruit drinks • Honey and sugar • Products containing white flour • Salted, cured meat (sausage, bacon, etc.) • home remedy for yeast infection White rice, pasta, white bread • Fermented foods, like pickles • “Moldy” food, like bananas and mushrooms • Coffee and caffeinated tea Step 3: Strengthen Your Immune System It’s not just what you eat or what you apply to your skin that can help stave off future infections. It also depends on your state of mind and whether or home remedy for yeast infection not you take the time to keep your whole body in good shape. Modern medicine so often fails to take into account the externals, such as whether you are getting enough sleep, how much stress is present in your daily life, whether you exercise regularly, and so on. Well, I’m here as proof that all of these factors play home remedy for yeast infection a huge role in how healthy your body is—and, therefore, how susceptible you are to vaginal infections and other diseases. Yeast infections, especially when they recur, are a sign of a weak immune system, so you should not stop at simply treating the symptoms. Instead, you have got to reassess your body’s health and its ability to ward off home remedy for yeast infection disease and further infections. You’ve got to make some changes so that you get your body yeast infection cure back into good shape. 40 Do yourself a favor and make your health a priority in your day to day schedule. It’s so easy to slack off and let your body go, but if you do so you are really home remedy for yeast infection compromising your health in many ways. Eating lots of sugar does not just result in obesity; it also lets the yeast run rampant throughout your system, causing depression, blurred vision, irritability, skin conditions, slow healing of cuts and scrapes, insomnia, and so on. Eat right, and exercise regularly, because these things will improve your health and reestablish a healthy, home remedy for yeast infection strong immune system. Establish a routine for yourself, and then stick to it. Pick a physical activity (or activities) that you truly love, so that you’ll feel inspired to do it. Vary things up to make it interesting: try yoga one day, jogging the next, cycling the third day, and so on. You will also need to eat right home remedy for yeast infection and introduce vitamins and supplements into your diet. Why? Because otherwise it is nearly impossible to get all the nutrients that your body needs for you to nurse yourself back to health. So pay attention to the following information about essential supplements. You can find them all at your local health food store: Essential fatty acids: One common misconception home remedy for yeast infection that lots of people have is that fats are bad for you and should be eliminated from a healthy diet. Not so! Certain fats are actually “lubricants” that keep the body’s systems functional, and so you’ve got to make sure you’re getting enough of the essential fatty acids. I’m not talking about the kind of fat that comes in home remedy for yeast infection a candy bar, of course—I’m talking about the fats you get from fish, avocados, and supplements. |
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